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US 8,240,460 B1Granted
Apparatus for cleaning a conveyor belt
AssigneeMichael James Bleau
InventorsMichael James Bleau, Jeffrey J. Dellach, Kenneth P. Dellach
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for cleaning a moving conveyor belt of a conveyor belt assembly. The apparatus includes an enclosed housing connectable to the conveyor belt assembly, wherein the housing has an open portion adjacent to the moving conveyor belt. A hub is rotatably connected to and within the enclosed housing, and a plurality of wipers are releasably connected to and extend outward from the hub. A driving means rotates the hub and the wipers such that the plurality of wipers at least partially engage and wipe the conveyor belt clean, as the wipers rotate through the open portion of the housing.
Claims21
An apparatus for cleaning a moving conveyor belt of a conveyor belt assembly, comprising:
- an enclosed housing connectable to said conveyor belt assembly, and said housing having an open portion adjacent to said moving conveyor belt;
- a hub rotatably connected to and within said enclosed housing;
- a plurality of substantially planar wipers enclosed within said housing and releasably connected to and extending outward from said hub at an acute angle from said hub;
- and
- means for driving the rotation of said hub and said wipers such that said plurality of wipers at least partially engage and wipe said moving conveyor belt clean, as said wipers rotate through said open portion of said housing.
2 more elements
An apparatus for cleaning a moving conveyor belt of a conveyor belt assembly, comprising:
- an enclosed housing connectable to said conveyor belt assembly, and said housing having an open portion adjacent to said moving conveyor belt;
- a hub rotatably connected to and within said enclosed housing;
- a plurality of wipers releasably connected to and extending outward from said hub;
- means for driving the rotation of said hub and said wipers such that said plurality of wipers at least partially engage and wipe said moving conveyor belt clean, as said wipers rotate through said open portion of said housing;
- and
- an inlet port provided in said housing wherein said inlet port is in communication with a pressurized fluid source and the inside of said enclosed housing such that said pressurized fluid applies a force to said wipers and said hub, thereby causing said hub and said wipers to rotate.
3 more elements
An apparatus for cleaning a moving conveyor belt of a conveyor belt assembly, further comprising:
- an enclosed housing connectable to said conveyor belt assembly, and said housing having an open portion adjacent to said moving conveyor belt;
- a hub rotatably connected to and within said enclosed housing, and said hub having a plurality of slots formed at an acute angle in the periphery of said hub;
- a plurality of substantially planar wipers enclosed within said housing releasably connected to said hub by inserting said wipers into said slots in said hub such that said wipers extend outward from said hub at an acute angle;
- said wipers each having a substantially rigid support member and a substantially flexible, non-woven web material releasably connected to said rigid support member, wherein said non-woven material extends beyond the length of said rigid support member;
- and
- means for driving the rotation of said hub and said wipers such that said plurality of wipers at least partially engage and wipe said moving conveyor belt clean with said non-woven web material, as said wipers rotate through said open portion of said housing.
3 more elements
An apparatus for cleaning a moving conveyor belt of a conveyor belt assembly, comprising:
- an enclosed housing connectable to said conveyor belt assembly, and said housing having an open portion adjacent to said moving conveyor belt;
- a hub rotatably connected to and within said enclosed housing, and said hub having a plurality of slots formed in the periphery of said hub, wherein said slots extend at an angle relative to a radius of said hub;
- a plurality of substantially planar wipers releasably connected to said hub by inserting said wipers into said slots in said hub such that said wipers extend at said angle relative to said radius of said hub;
- each of said wipers having a substantially rigid support member and a substantially flexible, non-woven web material releasably connected to said rigid support member, wherein said non-woven web material extends beyond the length of said rigid support member;
- means for driving the rotation of said hub and said wipers such that said plurality of wipers at least partially engage and wipe said conveyor belt clean with said non-woven web material when said wipers rotate through said open portion of said housing;
- and
- a pair of rollers connected to said housing at opposite ends of said opening in said housing, wherein said rollers are engageable with said moving conveyor belt for proper positioning of said wipers relative to said conveyor belt.
4 more elements
An apparatus for cleaning a moving conveyor belt of a conveyor belt assembly, comprising:
- an enclosed housing connectable to said conveyor belt assembly, and said housing having an open portion adjacent to said moving conveyor belt;
- a pair of rollers connected to said housing at opposite ends of said opening in said housing, wherein said rollers are engageable with said moving conveyor belt for proper positioning of said wipers relative to said conveyor belt;
- a hub rotatably connected to and within said enclosed housing, and said hub having a plurality of slots formed in the periphery of said hub, wherein said slots extend at an angle to a radius of said hub;
- a plurality of wipers releasably connected to said hub by inserting said wipers into said slots in said hub such that said wipers extend at said angle to said radius of said hub;
- each of said wipers having a substantially rigid support member and a substantially flexible, non-woven web material releasably connected to said rigid support member, wherein said non-woven web material extends beyond the length of said rigid support member;
- means for driving the rotation of said hub and said wipers such that said plurality of wipers at least partially engage and wipe said conveyor belt clean with said non-woven web material when said wipers rotate through said open portion of said housing;
- a stationary shaft connected to said housing;
- said hub rotatably mounted on said shaft, wherein said hub may move laterally along said shaft;
- and
- means for inducing lateral movement of said hub on said shaft.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.